The Ostrander City Council held a regular meeting on November 12, with all members present (Stephanie Start, Dan Hellerud, DJ Start, Mayor Pam Kunert, Vernon Thompson, and City Clerk Wendy Brincks). The council formally approved the canvassing of the recent special election, in which Dan Hellerud won for city council.
Ostrander’s city maintenance director, Jeremy Runkle, addressed the council about the brush dump. He said, “I’d like to be able to close the brush dump except for on Wednesdays and Saturdays like we had it before, to keep the trash and nonsense out of there.” He explained that although he has posted arrows pointing the way to the new dump pile, some people are still dumping at the old pile. The council voted to approve posting signs stating the brush dump is open on Wednesdays 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. In response to a question from Vernon Thompson, Wendy Brincks said she will check with the state to verify that the new dump pile is far enough away from the water treatment plant.
Jason Rice was welcomed in his new role as Fire Chief. In response to a question about the number of active members, he replied, “As far as really active, about five….in total, there’s 12 in the whole department.” He also explained that there’s an idea being investigated regarding cooperation with the Spring Valley Fire Department, stating, “We’re not actually combining fire departments, all we’re doing, or what we’re hoping to do, is…when we get a fire call that’s in our district, Spring Valley will (also) get called, instead of us having to call for mutual aid later.”
The council also discussed a grant available through the USDA. The Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant program can cover 35% of a city’s costs for approved purchases, up to $50,000. This program can provide low-interest direct loans, grants, or a combination of both. Some ideas for possible uses for this funding included upgrading Ostrander’s tornado warning system, a fire truck, or other city equipment. The council reviewed a possible upgrade to the tornado warning system, which would allow Ostrander’s siren to be activated remotely and would allow spotters to instantly alert citizens of danger. The USDA program is focused on small communities with a population under 5,000. No formal action was taken at this time, but the council consensus was to apply for the program.
Joe O’Connell addressed the council, and handed out rate sheets showing his company’s proposed rates for snow plowing for the city. He also explained the advantage of wind rows on the outskirts of town. The council approved O’Connell’s company to do the snow removal for this winter season.
The council discussed, and selected, the types of holiday banners and brackets to order, for the city to display during the winter holiday season. The selected style includes wording of “Happy Holidays.” There is an option to add “Ostrander” onto the banners, but this would likely delay their arrival, so the council chose not to do that. The banners and brackets are expected to arrive around the end of November.
A building permit from Judith Tiemen was discussed. The permit application states that she wishes to move a three-bedroom home (1,560 square feet) onto the property at 105 South Street. The council voted to approve the request, contingent on the applicable fees being paid first ($156 permit fee, $300 water hook-up, and $100 for a water meter).
The council approved liquor license renewals for Susie’s and the Wolf Den. Brincks shared a letter from the Spring Valley Ambulance Service, explaining that “We would like to inform you in writing of our plan to increase the per capita for 2020 by $2.” The increase is due to rising costs of fuel, medical supplies, and call pay for staff.
A written report from the Fillmore County Sheriff’s office summarized the service and patrol activity for the month of October, which included one ambulance call, three civil issues, one court order violation, and one alarm. Brincks said Sheriff DeGeorge will plan to attend a council meeting sometime in the coming months.
The next regular meeting of the city council will be Tuesday, December 3 at 6:30 p.m., in the community center. The public is welcome.
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